>but people on the train are, for the overwhelming majority, uninteresting or annoying
And they're usually the same people every day, if you catch the same train.
And they're usually the same people every day, if you catch the same train.
For example... I happen to know that if I take a commuter line into Boston in the morning, I am likely to encounter one or more of: a senior scientist at an R&D lab, a bunch of Google programmers and engineers, a non-profit fundraising expert, or an IP lawyer. I don't know what the guy with the MongoDB sticker on his laptop does, but eventually I'll say hello and find out.
Maybe you should drink your coffee before you get on the train and try finding out who people really are.